Warm Hearts
by TheBlueJetpack
Summary: 2. In the quiet of night, an unexpected and long overdue heart-to-heart reminds Luna and Luan of just how much they mean to each other when the Loud House furnace breaks down during heavy snowfall. Sequel to 'Mission Accomplished'.
1. Warm Hearts

_A/N: I went back to watch Homespun and I have to ask: why the heck is Luna sitting so far away from the other siblings when the tornado hits? That's literally the only thing I dislike about the episode. Other than that tiny detail, I think an episode featuring the very thing that this show is named after is a super idea! It's one of the few things that the entire family shares with each other. And somehow, a rickety old house that's falling to pieces every time you touch it gave me a little inspiration for my new story here, which serves as a sequel of my previous story 'Mission Accomplished'._

 _The response I've received for 'MA' has been overwhelmingly positive, so thanks for that! I've had in my mind for a while to continue this storyline and I highly recommend you read 'MA' first to get you up to speed on the events before reading this one. Check out the sketches I made too!_

 _The title of this piece was recycled from a scrapped story for a different fandom which will probably never be resurrected. Speaking of which, did you notice that I always hide the title somewhere in the story at least once? This recurring gimmick applies to ALL my stories. Just a little easter egg for y'all to go back and spot!_

 _Also, this is_ _ **NOT**_ _Loudcest. I do not cover that material whatsoever. This is purely siblings bonding as siblings._

 _Season 3 is almost over, and we still have not been given a single episode or even any real material focusing on Luna and Luan, or their true relationship with each other. I await the day when Twitter leaks confirmation of such an episode, but until then, I shall just have to write about my two favourite characters. And if that coveted day were to indeed come…I shall continue to write about my two favourite characters. Ha ha. I will say though, if there are any positives to the lack of official Luna/Luan material, it's that it leaves so many doors wide open for me to explore and write stories about, limited to only my imagination._

 _But with all that out of the way, happy reading!_

 _Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated._

 ** _Update (Feb 4):_** _The scene where Luna and Luan discuss fighting in the family was originally omitted from the final draft. However, shortly after publishing, I began to have second thoughts and ultimately decided to put it back in. After all, no family is complete without squabbling and disagreements. So if the word count seems different from when you first viewed the story, this is probably why._

* * *

Warm Hearts

January 26, 2019 - February 2, 2019

The house on 1216 Franklin Avenue in Royal Woods, Michigan was in no way secure and I don't mean the locks or the security system. The locks worked fine; Lynn Sr. had made sure of that. As for the security system? There were 11 kids inside who wouldn't let any burglar so much as touch their stuff without being introduced to the wonderous joys of being turned into a human pretzel, pelted with a pie in the face, scared away, or used as a substitute punching bag. Everyone had their own ways of evicting intruders; the bottom line was that the kids made sure that whatever belonged within the house stayed in the house.

But more to the point, the house was pretty weak in a structural context. Ask any one of the kids and each will start ranting off a list of the numerous flaws and failures that their home featured. Creaking staircases, peeling paint, leaky pipes, cracked ceilings, rotting wood, a malfunctioning toilet, faulty wiring, and the fact that there was only one bathroom topped the works. Not even the doorknobs and fridge handles were free from being defective. The mailbox could barely stand on its own post. Paper-thin walls offered as little privacy as possible. And the floors were worn and warped so badly that it was a miracle that they didn't completely crumble under the constant pressure of human feet pounding upon them as the house's inhabitants contributed their share of personal destructive hobbies that they were known around town for.

Lana Loud, the self-proclaimed 'handyman' of the house was constantly called upon to come to the poor house's aid. Luckily for the family, the little 6 year-old mechanic/plumber/dumpster-diver was proud of her title and always eager to fix anything she could find that was broken, damaged, or just simply needed replacing. Without her, the house would, in Lori's words, 'literally fall apart'.

Or at least more than it already was.

Winter was the worse time to be living in the Loud House. The insulation was extremely poor and the furnace wasn't always reliable. And with a tight budget to go around, the supply of warm clothes and blankets was limited. Complaining about this didn't help much either. In fact, bickering and whining about any of the house's problems proved to be fruitless. In the end, they were stuck with these imperfections, either trying to fix or tolerate them. Ultimately, the Louds learned to get used to the madness and complications of life in the house. Because all in all, it was home. It wasn't much or anything fancy, but it was home. And when you have a castle to call your own, there is a very special connection hidden deep inside you that keeps you locked with this very special place. And each member of the house could somehow seek within him or herself and find just that. Because of this, not one of the Louds, (parent, teen, kid, or pet), could ever dream of truly replacing this house for a different one. Not even a structurally stable, better-insulated, three-bathroom mansion could take its place.

Wait, three bathrooms? Okay, let's not to think about that.

In the end, the house served its purpose, albeit just adequately. It had a roof, provided shelter, and had enough rooms for its inhabitants. Most importantly, it was everyone's safehouse; it offered comfort for each individual when he or she needed it most. Additionally, there were many good things to be found in every flaw of the house. It was home. Besides, that tornado had reminded Lincoln and his sisters of all this, and they never could shake off the experience.

Even so, wouldn't it be most unfortunate if the old clunky furnace, hard at work in the family's dark, damp basement, were to suddenly decide to cease functioning right in the middle of an early snowstorm one November evening? It most certainly would and this scenario would be both absolutely terrible and unthinkable at the same time.

Too bad that's exactly what happened.

To avoid freezing their skin while the furnace was awaiting repairs, Rita went to the closets and broke out the extra blankets. There were enough for every kid and the parents to have two each in total. Although much complaining and whining were elicited, mostly from Lori and Lola, they all eventually got used to the long cold nights, but that didn't mean spirits were lightened in any way. Bundled up in thick pajamas and their blankets, the Louds managed to sleep off the cold, but having to adjust to the new temperatures was most uncomfortable.

After around four or five nights of living without a furnace during the heavy snowfall, Luna Loud woke up at around 1:45 am and sat up in her bunk of the bunk bed that she shared with Luan. With a quiet yawn, she pushed the covers aside and carefully climbed down the ladder to the floor. Once there, she slipped on her skull slippers and a purple hoodie overtop her long nightshirt, and headed down to the kitchen for a drink, as cold winter weather made her throat dry. Luna was probably one of the more fortunate of the Louds. Her body's internal warming systems differed slightly from her siblings, meaning she was naturally warmer than the others and thus only needed one blanket. She had kindly lent her spare one to Lola, who not only didn't have the privilege of enjoying her own increased natural warmth, but demanded the need to avoid freezing her butt off. Now that the spoiled pageant queen had three blankets, maybe the family would get some peace from her at last.

Mug of water in hand, Luna strolled in to the dark living room and gazed out of the window to the frozen world outside. It had stopped snowing, but everything was covered in a thick blanket of the white soft stuff. For the first time in many nights, the sky was actually clear and the moon was shining its light onto the streets, and combined with the brightness of the snow, the world had become brightly illuminated, despite the late hour. It was truly a beautiful scene and Luna took a few moments to just stare at it.

 _Hope Dad gets that furnace rockin' soon,_ she thought. _I don't know how much longer this fam is gonna last without it._ She knew her family was suffering from the cold, though she also knew that they were holding out the best they could. That was probably what she liked best about her family: they persevered and stuck with each other through every trial and every strife they faced. No one had to be afraid of entering the world of uncertainty alone; they had each other's backs and were the very definition of loyalty.

The Loud family may be loud and full of flaws, but it was something Luna would never dream of giving up. Much like the very house she lived in.

She was glad to be home. This past summer found her spending the last two weeks of August away at her high school band retreat in Wisconsin and while it had been a blast, it had been quite an adjustment for her, as it had been her first time away on her own and for so long. She had managed to cope and relax with all her friends, but she missed her family nonetheless. As all good things must come to an end, it was good to be home.

Deciding that she had enough of standing there listening to the sounds of silence, the rocker deposited her mug in the kitchen sink and headed upstairs to the blackened hallway that contained all the doors leading to her siblings' bedrooms and sole bathroom. Upon entering hers, she suddenly stopped and listened carefully as she shut the door. Being a gifted musician in her own right, Luna had developed a knack of detecting every little sound thrown at her, both good and out of the ordinary. And what she was hearing right now sounded like a pair of castanets firing away at a rapid pace. Luna owned some, but they required a pair of human hands to produce such a sound. It was coming from the bunkbed, so she advanced quietly towards it. She quickly realized that the sound was not that of her castanets, but that of Luan's teeth chattering. To Luna's surprise, Luan only had one blanket, faintly illuminated in the moonlight which was streaming lazily through the window due to its current position over the house. Luna's big sister instincts began to kick in, more so when she noticed her little sister was shivering uncontrollably. After a few moments, Luna made a decision, prompting her to kneel down and gently shake Luan awake.

The young comedienne moaned softly and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times before registering who had woken her up. "Luna? What is it?" she complained with justified annoyance in her youthful voice. Luna spoke kindly to her.

"Sorry Luan, I didn't want to wake you, but you were shivering like crazy. What happened to your second blanket?"

Luan rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Lola has it."

"What? How come?"

Luan rolled her eyes, still sleepy in the head. "She was having a fit over being too cold… _again_. She wanted mine and threatened to tattle to Dad about the time I messed up the fuse box with one of my water balloon pranks."

Luna frowned. That meant Lola had _four_ blankets, possibly more if she had bribed anyone else, which was most likely the case. She wanted to march over to the twins' room and take back Luan's spare blanket, maybe even her own just to teach Lola a lesson. However, it was the middle of the night, and Luna didn't feel like starting a sibling fight at this hour. Besides, she had a much more pressing issue on the platter right in front of her. She took hold of Luan's hand which was resting on top of her only blanket and was shocked to find how cold it felt. "Dude, you're as cold as ice."

Luan looked away unhappily. "I'm freezing," she muttered pitifully. "Aren't you cold?"

Luna shook her head. "No. But you are." Luan sighed again, giving off a striking impression of Lucy. "Don't worry about me, Luna…I'll just cope. Just don't be surprised if tomorrow you find an 'igLu-an' in my bed. Get it?" Luan laughed and, as expected, Luna didn't. But she didn't groan as she usually did either. Her little sister was freezing and she couldn't leave her like this. So, she reached up onto her bunk and dragged her pillow down.

"Move over."

"What?" asked Luan, confused.

"Scooch over a little. I'll keep you warm." Luan stared at her for only a brief moment before shifting her body and pillow over, letting Luna get into her bed beside her. The moment her big sister was settled in, Luan didn't hesitate to snuggle right up to her, and she was instantly engulfed in a wonderful sensation.

"How are you so warm?" she gasped with a tone that was a mixture of both pleasant surprise and envy. Luna chuckled and put her arm around Luan, hugging her close to her. "It's the music and the rhythm of my life, brah. It runs through my veins, lighting my soul on fire." Luan stared at her musically-gifted sister and simply responded by shaking her head and snuggling her face into Luna's neck, getting as close as she could to her. She felt an immense wave of relief and comfort that was her big sister's warmth and kindness wash over her. Luna wrapped her feet around Luan's, aiding the heating effect. _She really is cold,_ thought Luna as she gently caressed Luan's back and held one of her icy hands with her free hand. For the next little while, the two girls simply lay there, cuddling with each other and, little by little, Luan's shivering began to cease. At last, she rested her head gently upon Luna's shoulder and sighed happily.

"You comfy, Lulu?" the older girl asked her.

Luan nodded slightly. "Yeah, are you?"

"Totally, dude. How about I stay with you for the night? We'll deal with Lols tomorrow."

Luan smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Thanks for not giving me the _cold shoulder_. Get it?" She broke into silly giggles, trying hard to keep them quiet to avoid waking anyone up. Luna wanted to groan, but somehow, that one was actually kind of funny given Luan's current position. Every now and then, her puns actually made sense, so she decided to play along.

"Yeah well, it wasn't very _ice_ of Lola to blow your _cover_."

That sent Luan into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. She loved it when Luna joined her in a pun parade. She didn't do it often, opting instead to let Luan carry the show and laugh at her own jokes. Being roommates of course made Luna vulnerable to giving in to Luan's 'punny' invites, much like how Luan had gained a tiny bit of music knowledge and taste from listening to Luna play. It was a rare occasion for Luna to joke along with Luan, so the comedienne cherished every moment she got out of her sister.

"Ha ha! Good one! Now you're getting it!" She laughed some more while Luna watched her, amused. At last, Luan calmed down enough to speak properly to her sister.

"Seriously, Luna. Thanks for staying with me. This…feels really nice. You're really nice."

Luna smiled and took to stroking her sister's hair. "Just looking out for my little sis, that's all," she responded, her voice as smooth as velvet.

Luan closed her eyes contently; Luna was one of the very few people who knew that this comforting gesture was most soothing to her and she didn't want her to stop. "We haven't done this in so long. Remember the time I was 7 and I was afraid of the dark?"

The older girl smirked. "Yeah, and you always came to my room to sleep. How about the time we watched that zombie movie at Tommy Bachmann's sleepover?

Luan giggled. "We were too scared to sleep, so we sat back-to-back all night in our sleeping bags with baseball bats. I felt like a zombie the next morning."

It was clear that neither of the girls were planning on sleeping anytime soon, as they both silently decided that they'd much rather reminisce about the days gone by as they lay in Luan's bed, wide awake and snuggled in each other's arms as Luna did her best to help the girl in yellow plaid pajamas warm up. Many nights in the years past would find Luna and Luan lying wide awake in their respective bunks at night, chatting away over a wide range of topics, as fatigue remained nonexistent to both of them. This, however, was the first time in a longtime that they had done so in the same bed.

"And remember the time in third and fourth grade when we hit the ski slopes for the first time? On the bunny hill?" Luna quizzed, staring up at the baseboards that held her mattress above Luan's.

"Oh yeah! And we crashed into each other at the bottom and spent the rest of the day in the medical shack with hot chocolate and TV." Luan snickered.

After sharing a few more memories with laughs to go 'round, the girls looked at each other with warm smiles on their faces. "Ah, dude, where's the time gone?" Luna asked as she gave Luan's hand a light squeeze. It was notably warmer now.

"Gone with the wind?" Luan guessed. It took Luna a moment to catch on that Luan just spoke in lyric, which made the rocker beam proudly. Being roommates sometimes really rubbed off on them.

"But we've had some pretty rad times recently, right?" she asked her. "Like that time Luce-Change had us dress up and scare those creeps with the corn maze?"

"Oh, I had forgotten about that…that was so much fun! And then there was the time you went to Pop Pop's and I went to Aunt Ruth's after you convinced me to switch, and I ended up going on a cruise while you got stuck with the cats!"

Luna rolled her eyes at this horrible memory. "Yeah, maybe _you_ had fun. It was complete bogus for me, dude." This made Luan laugh. "Aw come on, you gotta admit, it was hilarious the way that turned out!" It's just like something you would see in one of those cartoon shows!"

"Come on, Luan, you know those cartoon gimmicks never happen in real life. That was just…unfortunate events."

Luan simply shrugged and brought her sister into a hug. Never before did it feel this good to reflect on all the fun memories they had shared together. She didn't want it to end.

"We've always been thickest thieves, huh Lunes? Even though we do fight and argue a lot."

Luna smiled, holder her closer. "Dude, we're sisters. We're supposed to get on each other's nerves and mess each other up. It's what family does, especially this one. Like the time you lost my gong."

"And the time you warped Mr. Coconut's head."

"And the time you hid pudding in my boots."

The teens paused for a moment, briefly remembering the times when they had gotten into each other's hair, squabbling and sometimes even engaging in hand-to-hand combats over trivial situations or insignificant matters. It was common practice for almost everyone in the Loud family to partake in such fighting on a regular basis. They were notorious for fighting over practically everything after all. But even after so long, no amount of arguing had really been brutal enough to tear anyone in the family apart from each other. Lana and Lola were living examples of individuals who regularly engaged in shockingly violent brawls, yet loved each other to death all the same. They were about as family as you could possibly ask for.

Furthermore, among the push and shove, someone should have noticed that this was not a sign of hatred, but simply a symbol of how close the family was with each other. No one could explain it, but all of the Louds were tied with close bonds that were destined to hold together with everlasting strength. And if anything, the fights just drew them closer. The world works in strange ways.

Luna stroked Luan's hand with her thumb. "I mean, yeah, we do fight sometimes...a lot. But do you remember that cartoon show we were watching with the twins the other day? The one with the talking ducks who went on adventures?"

The jokester thought for a moment. "You mean _Ducktales_?"

"Yeah, that's it. Remember in the episode where the blue and the pink ducks thought they were the perfect team, but couldn't agree on anything?"

Luan nodded. "But then their uncle told them that they only fought because they were family."

"Exactly," Luna said. "When I think about them, I think about us. All of us. We drive each other crazy, but it's only because we love each other. That's why this family totally rocks!"

The younger girl was quiet for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah, that does sum us up pretty well, doesn't it? 'Cuz I know you drive me crazy."

"And you drive _me_ crazy! The girl giggled together before Luna recalled yet another memory. "Yo, speaking of fights, do you remember when Little Bro convinced us and the rest of the girls to do a roommate swap?"

Luan grinned. "'Course, I do." Indeed, she could recall when they had all jumped at the chance to try Lincoln's compatibility test, which had failed miserably, resulting in an even bigger frenzy of arguments among the sisters. Leni had proven herself to be a completely unsuitable buddy for Luan to bunk with, but her brief lodging with Lucy had been most enjoyable.

"Hanging out with Luce was fun and all, but I'm glad we moved back in with each other," she told Luna. "You're the best roommate ever. I missed you…because without your jams, I was just plain TOAST. Get it?"

This time, Luna laughed along with Luan. Now _that_ was pretty funny. However, what Luan said before the joke sparked a different memory in Luna's mind, a much more recent one. But it was more of a reminder of something that she had wanted to confide with Luan about earlier, but never got the chance. And as the old saying goes, there's no better time than the present.

"Hey dude? Mind if I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Luan giggled while Luna mentally face-palmed.

"But sure, what is it?"

"Well, I was talking to Lincoln maybe a week ago and he told me that you were feeling a little lonesome while I was away. Is that true?"

Luan's smile faded as those unpleasant memories began to creep back upon her. "Yeah, it's…it's true. I was. Um, did he just tell you outright like that?"

Luna shook her head, a little surprised at the uncertainty in Luan's demeanor. "Not really. He mentioned it somewhat, and it was just the two of us. Don't think he meant to tell me, I think it just slipped out." The rocker looked carefully at the jokester. She couldn't see her too well in the faint moonlight, but she could sense that Luan was feeling rather uncomfortable. Luna was good at reading minds. She reached up and rubbed Luan's right shoulder gently. "It's okay, Lulu," she assured her. "You don't have to be embarrassed or anything. Missing people is natural. Circle of life, you know?"

"That's what Lincoln told me," said Luan quietly. She rested her head on Luna's shoulder again and gently gripped her sister's arm. "Did he tell you what happened that night?" she asked, staring up at the bottom of Luna's mattress above.

When Luna responded with a 'no', Luan proceeded to relay the whole story. Her tale of woe, how her initial excitement of having a whole room to herself had quickly wore off after she was overcome with loneliness and desperation for her roommate. How she could barely sleep at night and how she was afraid. Afraid of openly admitting to anyone that she missed her rockin' big sister, feeling it too childish to do so. And finally, how Lincoln had come to her rescue with words of compassion and reassurance that everything would be okay.

* * *

"…and that's it. From then on, I wasn't afraid of admitting that I missed you," finished Luan with a rather downcast tone. She buried her face into Luna's shoulder, as if afraid she would disappear on her again. Luna remained very quiet for several minutes as she mulled over Luan's story, letting it sink in. She had no idea; Lincoln had only mentioned that Luan had been lonely at night, but never said a word about the hurting that she had felt before he found her or that she had missed Luna that much. And now, as the girl in purple continued to think, she was overcome with waves of deep affection and love for her little sister, such feelings that had always been there, but never fully acknowledged until recently. "Hey," she cooed gently as she stroked Luan's cheek lightly with her finger. "To tell you the truth, Luan…I missed you just as much."

The younger girl tentatively looked up at her. "Really?"

Luna smiled warmly at her. "Yep. Linc was right you know, at least you still had the rest of the fam. I was on my own out there. I missed everyone, but I missed you the most." She shuffled her body a little to face Luan better. "Several nights I'd lay awake in the cabin, thinking of you. I missed our late-night chats and our wicked pillow fights. Heck, I even missed your sleep-joking!"

This made Luan perk up. Not many people could tolerate her sleep-joking, let alone her jokes in general. Maybe that was why she was never invited to very many sleepovers. She was always secretly appreciative of Luna for being one of the few who could sleep in the same room as her, and now even more so upon discovering that Luna actually missed that. It cheered her up a lot.

"Well, _I_ missed the faint blasts of your headphones every night. And your snoring."

Luna frowned. "Dude, I don't snore."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I…" Luna stopped and quickly decided against arguing this. "Look, what I'm trying to say here is…you mean a lot to me. And because of that, I missed you to high heaven. I know music is my main groove, so much to the point that some dudes think it's all I'm made of. But it's not. My family is _the most_ important thing to me…I think spending two whole weeks away from you guys taught me that. It was meant to be a getaway and help us bandmates to grow closer bonds with each other and all that jazz. But d'you know what? It actually brought me closer to you guys. More than ever before."

Luna smiled, remembering. Reflecting.

"Being away reminded me of how much I've needed my sibs and 'rents all my life and how much I love them. And out of everyone is this crazy-awesome family, no one pulls my heartstrings like you do. Not Lori, not Leni. It's you, Luan. Just chillin' with you has always been my favourite time of the day and always will be, and _that_ was what I missed." Luna absent-mindedly ran her finger along Luan's spine. "You have a special place in my heart. And it's not because we're roommates…I mean that _does_ help…but it's because you were my first ever little sister. When I was old enough to know this, I was prouder than Mick when he won his tenth Grammy Award, and I was determined to be the best big sister I could possibly be. Growing up with you has been the most rad adventure ever. And I know I groan at your jokes and find your pranks annoying as heck. But in the end, if you're happy, it's all that matters to me. I love you, sis."

Luan stared misty-eyed at her sister; tears were beginning to well up due to Luna's declaration of such profound care and affection for her. There was no subtleness to it whatsoever.

Luan was a tough girl. At age 14, this young comedienne had already learned to tolerate such things as humiliation, shame, show-biz stress, and mild heckling. This skill had proven to be handy throughout her stand-up gigs or even during the odd times a few kids at the high school would decide to pick on her. She was able to hide emotional residues such as tears and sobs behind a tough exterior, channeling them into fuel to either fight back or step up her game. She let very little stand in her way; it was what made her such a hard girl to crack. But right now, her emotions were really bubbling in her throat and it was taking everything she had to prevent the waterworks from spilling over. Only a few people had the power to reduce her to this state, and Luna was one of them.

"I…I love you too, Luna. We may be sisters, but you've been my best friend since forever. You know I don't have a lot of friends, but you've always been there for me. And I really look up to you...you're my cool big sis...the best one I've ever had. I can't imagine my life without you by my side."

Luan could say no more, as she could feel her voice starting to break, which Luna noticed right away. The rocker grinned. "All right, bring it in." There wasn't much 'in' left given how close they were lying next to each other already, but Luan didn't need to be told twice. She snuggled her head into Luna's chest and hugged her tightly, curling up in her arms. Wrapped up in a loving embrace, both teens felt something special that they had been missing all this time spark. It was nothing more than their sister bond, a bond between the two of them that had formed many years ago and had only grown ever since. Luan's breathing became heavy as some tears escaped her shut eyes. She didn't even know why she was crying. She was just happy to share this moment with Luna and equally happy to have finally opened up to her, something she felt she should have done months ago when Luna actually returned. Now, in Luna's protective hold, she felt like she was right where she belonged; any painful memories of her sister's absence that still remained hidden in the depths of her heart were exterminated for good.

Yes, Lincoln had certainly been the remedy for her misery, months back when she was feeling lost without her roommate, and she had felt all that much better after her brother had helped to sort out her conflicted emotions. However, while his comfort had done the trick to help her to carry on, it just did not quite compare to being here, in her favourite sister's arms, like she was this very moment. There was a certain aura of comfort that only Luna could offer and had always been there for Luan when she needed it most. And she was forever grateful for this. "Thanks for being my sister, Luna," she murmured. "Your heart is as warm as your skin. I think that's what I love about you the most."

Luna smiled as she rested her chin upon Luan's head and closed her eyes, those stray protruding hairs tickling her neck. ' _Warm hearts'…that's not a bad song title,_ she thought. "I'll always be there for you Luan," she promised. "Even when I'm not around, I'll still be there. Because you'll always be my baby sister."

The furnace was still broken. The house was still freezing. But Luna and Luan were as warm as toast.

Luan slowly broke the hug and lifted her body up a little to carefully prop her chin upon Luna's chest, gazing directly into her sister's face, and they smiled sweetly at each other. Luna idly rubbed Luan's back as she observed the moonlight glisten oddly in the latter's eyes, even more so on her silver-tinted braces. For a few brief moments, they just lay there, basking in each other's presence and enjoying the peace and quiet of the night; it had been far too long since they had last spent this kind of quality time together. It was hard to believe that this rockstar and prankster, two of the most wild and destructive people in the family, could be this relaxed. In fact, they were so comfortable that they may as well have ended up falling asleep like this had another memory not suddenly dawn Luna's mind; it was another important question she had wanted to pose upon Luan for a while now, but this one was of a much more difficult topic. It wasn't an easy question, as she knew Luan could be quite sensitive about it when discussed and the answer would almost guarantee to be nothing more than a big fat 'NO'. Still, she had to at least try. Since she had her sister's full attention, this looked to be the best time to ask.

"Dude?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do."

"And no matter what happens, I've always got your back, right?"

Luan could sense that Luna wanted to tell her something. "Lunes, what is it? You can tell me."

Her sister sighed. _Here goes nothing,_ she thought. "Okay. This is a bit off-topic, but I need to ask you…do you think you could tone it down a little with the pranks this April?"

Luan's face fell.

Luna sighed again. She knew Luan wouldn't take this well. April Fools' Day was her favourite holiday after all, the one day of the year when Luan's inner demon was unleashed, free to run wild at the expense of every unfortunate soul that happened to be within range, and to be told against whatever she did was surely to be insulting to her. "I know this sounds totally insensitive of me to ask you this, and I know I said earlier that whenever you're happy, I'm happy, but…what you did last time was…really harsh, dude. You embarrassed me in front of some of my closest friends, not to mention a big crowd. Sam was there, brah. And even though we've moved on from all that whack, it still hurt."

Luan didn't say anything, so Luna continued cautiously, choosing her words carefully before speaking.

"Look, I'm not asking you to drop the prank shebang altogether, but…all I'm asking is if you could take it down a notch. Remember when you filled the pad with chickens? That was pretty funny, even though it made a big mess of the place. But the thing is that no one got hurt from that. Harmless pranks like that are wacky and fun. But when you made Lana fall into that pit of rhubarb pies, I was afraid she would get seriously sick, dude. That's…that's just not cool. When the laugh track is only on one end, it's just not a joke anymore. It's almost… (Luna swallowed hard as she said this) …torture."

Still, Luan said nothing. She just stared at her with an expression that was unreadable as Luna presented the central piece of her long-prepared speech.

"But I think the real reason I'm telling you these things, Luan, is that I'm tired of running away from you. Every year I find myself doing it, and it makes me sick. I love you too much to hide from you. I just…I just don't want to do that anymore, sis. I find myself actually becoming scared of you, and I don't like that. It's not because I want you to stop pranking and stuff, or even to have a little peace. It's only because I care about you and want to spend as much time with you as I can, not avoid you." Luna had to take a breath before finishing up.

"I know you love nothing more than letting loose every April Fools', and I dig it! But could you please not do anything crazy that will actually hurt us?"

"Okay," Luan said.

"I'll understand if you don't give a…what?" Luna stopped dead right there as her eyes widened. What did Luan just say? "What did you say?"

"I said 'okay'. I won't go crazy this time. Anymore, in fact."

Luna stared at her younger sister, who was still lying partially on top of her. Was she hearing properly?

When Luna failed to say something, Luan sighed and carried the speech torch this time. "You guys aren't the only ones aware of how harsh I can be…" (Luna raised an eyebrow) "…okay, okay, how harsh I _am_ on April Fools' Day. I've been feeling a little guilty lately…about how you guys don't laugh along with me when I prank you…or how you guys get…h-h-hurt by them…" Luan looked away by resting the side of her head on Luna's chest, listening to her steady heartbeat as she struggled on. "But most of all, I know that you and the others get scared of me and try to hide too. And I don't like it either. In the end, it just doesn't make the prank worth it if all I do is make my family run away from me."

"No one's asking you to scare us, Lulu. You can still prank us…just make them harmless. Small-scale you know?"

Facing Luna again, Luan reached her left hand up and touched Luna's cheek. "For you," she hummed lightly, and Luna noticed two things: her once-icy hand was now warm and her voice was filled with gentleness and love. "I promise I'll tone them down from now on. Because I love you. And, you know, everyone else too, of course."

Any Hobo Joe off the street could have made that same promise on the outside, but could have been crossing his fingers on the inside at the same time. However, by the calm tone in Luan's voice and the lightness of her chin balancing upon Luna's chest, Luna could tell through and through that Luan was being 100% honest with her as she made this promise. There was sincerity and truth weaved in her voice that only someone extremely close in spirit to the girl could recognize and truly believe. Luna was this someone. There was no way of explaining it; she just knew.

"Thanks, Luan."

Then Luan smiled, almost mischievously. "On one condition."

 _Uh oh_. Of course, there were strings attached. Luna was fine with being sawed in half during one of Luan's magic acts or even cleaning out Gary's rabbit cage for her. But knowing her sister, or anyone in the family, Luna could be asked to do any dreadful thing that she could never picture herself doing and suffer immensely from it. But this was a huge deal that Luan had just agreed her part to, so there was no way Luna was backing out of it. She would do whatever it would take to ensure she and the rest of the family remained safe for every April Fools' Day of their lives. "What is it, brah?"

"Sing me a song."

A song? That was it? Luna mentally breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly collected herself. This was too easy. Surely there had to be more to it than just a simple song.

"Uh, sure dude. Any requests?"

Luan's mischievous face suddenly softened, almost robotically. She smiled and whispered low: "Sing a song about me. What you really think of me."

Luna's spirits rose. Now _that_ she could definitely do. She had spent countless moments throughout her life listening out for and picking songs that reminded her of those she loved. As her psychological list of song selections grew and grew, she eventually had to start typing them out on her laptop and storing them on file in order to keep each ever-growing list organized. By this point, there were A LOT of songs all told. For Luan, she had come across and jotted down many songs; songs about laughs; about having fun; even a song or two about best friends. But suddenly, as her mind was pouring through her mental playlist contained in the album titled 'Luan Loud', the little jukebox inside her pulled out a different record, one that was found under the bulging album titled 'Sam Sharp'. It contained a song that she had saved for a long time now, a song she had heard on the radio at one point. It was Christian-based, yet anyone could easily interpret it as a romantic love song between long-time lovers, based on the lyrics, moderate tempo, and overall soothing aura. However, as Luna ran the song through her head, she realized that it was perfect for Luan. Instead of her soulmate, the song would be directed towards the family member to whom she was closest to. She decided, right there and then, that she would sing this song tonight to show her little sister just how much she loved her. And as a bonus, it might even help her to fall asleep.

"All right dude, lie down next to me."

Luan did as she was told, getting off of her sister's chest and resting her head on Luna's shoulder as she held onto Luna's hand, relaxed and ready to listen. Luna draped her free arm around her, caressing her gently as she began to sing in a smooth, melodious voice.

 **(A/N: Plug in some headphones and switch on to Youtube if you are capable of doing so, and play '** _ **Do You Dream of Me'**_ **by Michael W. Smith. For best experience, listen to the audio while reading the lyrics below to stay with the story.)**

 _Dreams within the still of night,  
On wings of hope take flight inside of me.  
There upon some distant shore,  
We want for nothing more than what will be.  
_

 _And you and I, here we are,  
I wonder as we've come this far,_

 _If I could only read your mind,  
Tell me the answer I would find  
Do you dream of me?  
And when you're smiling in your sleep  
Beyond the promises we keep  
Do you dream of me?_

Luan's eyes were half-lidded. Luna continued to caress her soothingly as she sang the next verse.

 _Love has found a magic space,  
A deep and hidden place where time stands still.  
Now I hold you in my arms  
You know you hold my heart and always will._

 _And you and I, here we are  
And it's a wonder that we've come this far._

 _And after all that we've been through  
You've leaned on me, I've leaned on you  
Do you dream of me?  
And when you're smiling in your sleep  
Beyond the promises we keep  
Do you dream of me?_

It was here that the music really picked up and became stronger, but Luna kept her angelic voice calm and smooth, while in her mind, the orchestra raised the roof.

 _If I could only read your mind  
Tell me the answer I would find  
Do you dream of me?  
And when you're smiling in your sleep  
Beyond the promises we keep  
Do you dream of me?  
And after all that we've been through  
You've leaned on me, I've leaned on you.  
Do you dream of me?_

 _Do you dream of me?_

Luan was now fast asleep with her head nestled comfortably on Luna's shoulder, her hand still interlocked with Luna's, and a content smile etched upon her face that one could only interpret as saying one thing: her heart had found peace at last thanks to the love of her big sister. Luna leaned over and kissed the top of her head. _Sweet dreams luv,_ she thought before snuggling her little sister warmly and giving into the world of dreams herself.

Stories don't always have happy endings. And dreams don't normally correlate with reality. But this story is not one of those stories. And Luan's dream wasn't 'normal'. She dreamed that Lola took her spare blanket every night and Luna was always right there beside her. Luna was a girl of song and music…perhaps even more than even she knew. Tonight, there may have been a bit of the magic world in her song.

The world can be a cold place. And tonight, it certainly was. But with a bond as strong as the one that Luna and Luan Loud shared, the world could be as warm as Luan was now.

 **THE END**

* * *

And one last thing: as the rocker and the jokester slept peacefully in each other's arms, all across the second floor of the Loud House…Lori, Leni, Lynn, Lincoln, Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa each felt their insides dancing and swinging to the chorus of Hanson's hit single ' _MMMBop'_ at the knowledge of finally being set free from torturous pranks for Aprils Fools' Days to come.

Paper-thin walls, remember?

This rickety, old house really was the best house ever.

 **THE END**

 **(for real this time)**

* * *

 _Songs used: 'Do You Dream of Me' (Michael W. Smith), and 'MMMBop' (Hanson)._


	2. Racing-Hearts-Hype

Less than a day! _Racing Hearts_ officially airs tomorrow, the episode that practically everyone has been waiting for since Kevin Sullivan dropped the line that Sam would be starring with Luna in a future episode "way down the road" back in…what, the beginning of 2018? Well, the ending of the road is near, with _Racing Hearts_ and _Stage Plight_ awaiting us to reach them. Honestly, people have been begging for the opportunity to explore Luna and Sam's direct relationship since _L is for Love_ aired back in June of 2017. That opportunity is finally here and the fandom has exploded with zeal and vigor. The fans are eagerly anticipating what could be the outcome and Twitter is flooded with excitement, debate, and so much fanart. Those _two_ sneak peeks we received only added fuel to the flames of exhilaration.

We're on the homestretch folks, so look sharp! Sam Sharp that is. Whether this episode actually turns out to be good or not-so-good, I know one thing: Luna Loud episodes have never disappointed me and with this being the very first 'Luna-centric' episode that is _not_ solely focused on music, but instead on the interactions between a Loud sister and her friend, I am excited as you are. The hype for _Racing Hearts_ will never be forgotten and is sure to go down in _The Loud House_ 's history.

The hype for _Stage Plight_ is currently on top-speed too. With Luna and Luan being my favourite characters, having back-to-back episodes focusing on each of them and their respective crushes is literally a dream come true. It is very obvious why these two episodes in particular were chosen to be pushed to the very end of the season's run. It certainly kept me on my toes! All I can say is that this strategy has worked like Leni's natural order of living. She never fails to shine that smile, even in the worst of times, and in the end, she comes out on top (oblivious to what it took to bring her there of course).

That's a terrible analogy. You know what I mean.

In other news, I was thinking of sketching some companion-drawings for this fanfic, _Warm Hearts,_ much like I did for its predecessor story _Mission Accomplished._ Stay tuned!


End file.
